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Coffeehouse Mystery #11
A Brew to a Kill
Listening Length: 10 hours and 28 minutes
"Coyle's Coffeehouse books are superb" (Library Journal), and now the national bestselling author of Murder by Mocha serves up a hot new Coffeehouse Mystery with A Brew to a Kill.
Coffee. It can get a girl killed.
A shocking hit-and-run in front of her Village Blend coffeehouse spurs Clare Cosi into action. A divorced, single mom in her forties, Clare is also a dedicated sleuth, and she's determined to track down this ruthless driver who ran down an innocent friend and customer. In the meantime, her ex-husband Matt, the shop's globetrotting coffee buyer, sources some amazing new beans from Brazil. But he soon discovers that he's importing more than coffee, and Clare may have been the real target of that deadly driver. Can ex-husband and wife work together to solve this mystery? Or will their newest brew lead to murder? Includes recipes.
"Coyle's Coffeehouse books are superb" (Library Journal), and now the national bestselling author of Murder by Mocha serves up a hot new Coffeehouse Mystery with A Brew to a Kill.
Coffee. It can get a girl killed.
A shocking hit-and-run in front of her Village Blend coffeehouse spurs Clare Cosi into action. A divorced, single mom in her forties, Clare is also a dedicated sleuth, and she's determined to track down this ruthless driver who ran down an innocent friend and customer. In the meantime, her ex-husband Matt, the shop's globetrotting coffee buyer, sources some amazing new beans from Brazil. But he soon discovers that he's importing more than coffee, and Clare may have been the real target of that deadly driver. Can ex-husband and wife work together to solve this mystery? Or will their newest brew lead to murder? Includes recipes.
11 pages, Audible Audio
First published August 1, 2012
206 people are currently reading
2487 people want to read
About the author
Cleo Coyle
55 books3,562 followersDon't miss the newest title in Cleo's long-running Coffeehouse Mystery series (with more to come),
NO ROAST FOR THE WEARY,
a National Mystery Bestseller and triple #1 Amazon Category Bestseller. Join Cleo's Coffee Club for bonus recipes and giveaways: Click Here to Subscribe to Cleo’s Free Newsletter
CLEO COYLE is the New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestselling pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. With more than 1 million books sold, they have gained an enthusiastic following. Cleo's "relenlessly entertaining" (Criminal Element) novels have been translated into Spanish, Japanese, and Czech. Their books have earned starred reviews from Library Journal and Kirkus, Best of Year selection honors from multiple reviewers, and have been recommended by Booklist as among the best culinary mysteries for core library mystery collections.
When not haunting coffeehouses, hunting ghosts, or wrangling their rescued stray cats, Alice and Marc are New York Times bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for Lucasfilm, NBC, Fox, Disney, Imagine, Toho, and MGM. One of those projects (ghostwritten by Alice Alfonsi) was named by Entertainment Weekly as the best media tie-in book written that year.
CONNECT WITH CLEO at CleoCoyle.com and CoffeehouseMystery.com
*******
CLEO'S TWO BESTSELLING SERIES:
Cleo’s Coffeehouse Mystery series, celebrated for pioneering both the “urban cozy" and “coffee cozy” mystery genres, follows the adventures of amateur sleuth Clare Cosi, a single mom with a complicated love life who manages a Greenwich Village coffeehouse and a crew of quirky baristas who helps her solve perplexing crimes.
Cleo’s Haunted Bookshop Mystery series, hailed as a highly original and "utterly charming" (Mystery Scene) blend of cozy and hardboiled genres, features an earnest young New England widow who catches criminals with the help of a gumshoe ghost, the irrepressible spirit of a tough private detective who’d been gunned down in her bookshop decades before.
*******
LATEST BOOK NEWS:
The newest title in Cleo's long-running Coffeehouse Mystery series is NO ROAST FOR THE WEARY, on sale April 1st and already a national mystery bestseller and triple #1 Amazon category bestseller. Cleo's previous release, BULLETPROOF BARISTA, was a "wildly entertaining" (Criminal Elment) national mystery bestseller; a #1 category best seller for Amazon; and honored with 2 Best of Year list selections by reviewers. It is now availalbe in a new paperback reprint edition along with the previous bestselling book in the series, HONEY ROASTED, "A honey of a tale" (Kirkus Reviews).
Cleo's latest Haunted Bookshop Mystery releases include THE GHOST AND THE STOLEN TEARS, praised by Kirkus as "a gem of a story." And THE GHOST GOES TO THE DOGS, a #1 category best seller for Amazon, which Fresh Fiction called "amazing and unique." Cleo is now writing the next Haunted Bookshop Mystery. Subscribe to Cleo’s Free Newsletter for updates on the pub date!
CLEO COYLE is the New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestselling pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. With more than 1 million books sold, they have gained an enthusiastic following. Cleo's "relenlessly entertaining" (Criminal Element) novels have been translated into Spanish, Japanese, and Czech. Their books have earned starred reviews from Library Journal and Kirkus, Best of Year selection honors from multiple reviewers, and have been recommended by Booklist as among the best culinary mysteries for core library mystery collections.
When not haunting coffeehouses, hunting ghosts, or wrangling their rescued stray cats, Alice and Marc are New York Times bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for Lucasfilm, NBC, Fox, Disney, Imagine, Toho, and MGM. One of those projects (ghostwritten by Alice Alfonsi) was named by Entertainment Weekly as the best media tie-in book written that year.
CONNECT WITH CLEO at CleoCoyle.com and CoffeehouseMystery.com
*******
CLEO'S TWO BESTSELLING SERIES:
Cleo’s Coffeehouse Mystery series, celebrated for pioneering both the “urban cozy" and “coffee cozy” mystery genres, follows the adventures of amateur sleuth Clare Cosi, a single mom with a complicated love life who manages a Greenwich Village coffeehouse and a crew of quirky baristas who helps her solve perplexing crimes.
Cleo’s Haunted Bookshop Mystery series, hailed as a highly original and "utterly charming" (Mystery Scene) blend of cozy and hardboiled genres, features an earnest young New England widow who catches criminals with the help of a gumshoe ghost, the irrepressible spirit of a tough private detective who’d been gunned down in her bookshop decades before.
*******
LATEST BOOK NEWS:
The newest title in Cleo's long-running Coffeehouse Mystery series is NO ROAST FOR THE WEARY, on sale April 1st and already a national mystery bestseller and triple #1 Amazon category bestseller. Cleo's previous release, BULLETPROOF BARISTA, was a "wildly entertaining" (Criminal Elment) national mystery bestseller; a #1 category best seller for Amazon; and honored with 2 Best of Year list selections by reviewers. It is now availalbe in a new paperback reprint edition along with the previous bestselling book in the series, HONEY ROASTED, "A honey of a tale" (Kirkus Reviews).
Cleo's latest Haunted Bookshop Mystery releases include THE GHOST AND THE STOLEN TEARS, praised by Kirkus as "a gem of a story." And THE GHOST GOES TO THE DOGS, a #1 category best seller for Amazon, which Fresh Fiction called "amazing and unique." Cleo is now writing the next Haunted Bookshop Mystery. Subscribe to Cleo’s Free Newsletter for updates on the pub date!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 369 reviews
September 2, 2012
I'm a relatively new reader of Cleo Coyle's coffeeshop series, but it has everything I like about cozy mysteries: family, romance, small business, food and smart investigation. It also has plenty of coffee trivia and New York City ambience and in this case, food trucks, along with a dose of city politics and rivalry! The Village Blend decides to branch out with a coffee and dessert truck, which causes internal strife before Clare and her ex-husband Matteo, as well as external strife when her rival sees her as stiff competition. When her friend gets run over outside the Village Blend, it gets personal and Clare takes on a new mission to hunt down the hit and run driver, which includes posing as a wedding cake buyer. Once again, this series stays extremely current while also giving us insight into the Village Blend's and New York City's past, and ups the intrigue and personal drama between Clare, Matteo and Clare's partner Mike Quinn, when the three have to share living space. This is a fast-paced mystery with an amateur sleuth who proves she's tough but also has quite a heart, one that foodies especially will enjoy.
August 20, 2012
I laughed. I cried. I got angry. When I first started reading Brew To a Kill, it felt like I was home again. My senses were awake with the sounds and smells of New York, and I've never been there. Cleo Coyle has a way with words that makes you a part of the book. Her characters become family....a family that is loving and yet isn't afraid to fight. I can't wait for the next one to come out.
April 10, 2022
3 stars Book #11 in the Coffeehouse Mystery series
Claire Cosi, Manager of the Village Blend Coffeehouse, has added a coffee truck. The story puts the coffee truck front and center. There is a hit and run, a shipment of crack and a death to also contend with. On top of that Cosi's beau, Detective Mike Quinn, has been put on an out of town assignment.
On to the next in the Coffeehouse Mystery series - Holiday Buzz - book # 12 in the series.
Claire Cosi, Manager of the Village Blend Coffeehouse, has added a coffee truck. The story puts the coffee truck front and center. There is a hit and run, a shipment of crack and a death to also contend with. On top of that Cosi's beau, Detective Mike Quinn, has been put on an out of town assignment.
On to the next in the Coffeehouse Mystery series - Holiday Buzz - book # 12 in the series.
September 10, 2021
for my thoughts on this book and other cozy mysteries subscribe to my YouTube channel @:https://t.co/Jx58B4KNW5?amp=1 ...more
March 31, 2025
There's a food truck feud between the coffee shop and a chocolate maker. There's a hit an run, and a smuggling scheme.
It's okay, but not as high stakes as some of the other books.
It's okay, but not as high stakes as some of the other books.
November 4, 2020
This was my first time reading from this author and I really enjoyed the sleuthing by Clare. She's a pretty smart and artistic female and what a talented nose. LOL There were some fun moments when her ex pops in and tries to be smooth and rude at times, especially the signing. That was too funny but Clare definitely had her hands full between and intrusive ex, a coffeehouse to run, a boyfriend and a crime. Lots go on in this book and you will feel all kinds of emotions but a well written book.
I may have to find my way to the begin since not only does my OCD kick in but I need to know more of the characters background.
I may have to find my way to the begin since not only does my OCD kick in but I need to know more of the characters background.
January 20, 2020
Yet again, the douchebag ex, Matteo Allegro, is not killed off. In addition, there were several churchy God/prayer references. Ugh. I really want to like this series, but it’s getting tougher with every title.
March 30, 2015
This series has been my favorite cozy series for awhile now and with each book it just keeps getting better. This book exhibited all of the humor, action, and mystery the books before it had and it still retains a "cozy" feeling even though it's set in New York City.
In this book I felt that we saw growth in the MC, Clare. She grew in her relationships with Mike and Matt and in herself, in my opinion. I want to give an example of how she grew, but they all have spoilers, so I'm not going to. I also thought you saw growth in Mike and Matt towards each other. Some things they go through in this book make them stop seeing each other as enemies.
I loved the new characters; Lilly, Max, and Jeremy and I really hope we see more of them soon. I also loved that Ester, nancy and Dante took bigger parts in this book, I've always loved all of the baristas and it was good to see them get a spotlight.
The mystery was superb, and I didn't guess the killer until Clare did. There were a lot of branches going off of the murder to give you a lot of suspects that all had viable motives.
Overall a phenomenal book and, quite possible, the best in this series yet. Can'[t wait to pick up the next one!
In this book I felt that we saw growth in the MC, Clare. She grew in her relationships with Mike and Matt and in herself, in my opinion. I want to give an example of how she grew, but they all have spoilers, so I'm not going to. I also thought you saw growth in Mike and Matt towards each other. Some things they go through in this book make them stop seeing each other as enemies.
I loved the new characters; Lilly, Max, and Jeremy and I really hope we see more of them soon. I also loved that Ester, nancy and Dante took bigger parts in this book, I've always loved all of the baristas and it was good to see them get a spotlight.
The mystery was superb, and I didn't guess the killer until Clare did. There were a lot of branches going off of the murder to give you a lot of suspects that all had viable motives.
Overall a phenomenal book and, quite possible, the best in this series yet. Can'[t wait to pick up the next one!
August 24, 2012
Claire Cosi is as intriguing as ever in this Coffeehouse Mystery. This time she, her lover Mike, and her ex-husband Matteo team up in an unlikely trio in a risky scheme to trap big-time drug dealers smuggling dope in with coffee beans. Claire also has to deal with the hit-run near fatality of her new partner, Lily--a hit-and-run that is eerily similar to other incidents. This will keep you reading--and smelling the coffee as Claire describes the various flavors in the new bean Matt brought home form South America. The barista world is a fascinating background for a mysery, and Coyl writes about it with authority. Recipes--including her adaptation of colcannon, which I really want to try.
July 21, 2018
This was a really good one. I love the intricate plots of this series. I wish I could do my own series as well as this one. I learn something new every time I pick up one of these books. the characters always feel real, I feel like I know clare and Matt and Quinn. OMG what will i do when i finally finish this series. Cleo, you are going to have to write faster.
June 6, 2023
Not bad though Claire and Mateo are a little to close!! But anyway, this wasn’t bad, better than some of the prior books
July 2, 2012
This is the eleventh book in the Coffeehouse Mystery series, and not only does it follow in the others’ footsteps by offering a fun and entertaining mystery, but it provides more ‘killer’ recipes that every chef and pastry lover in the world wants to own.
Clare Cosi, manager of The Village Blend located in New York City, is busy watching her new idea get off the ground. She and her employees have been working on launching their coffee truck, which will extend their business by letting them drive their amazing coffee and treats across the cityscape. The new truck is called Muffin Muse, and is all the rage.
One night however, a fatal hit-and-run accident occurs that very badly injures a coworker of Clare’s, just as she was trying to send a coffee truck that was owned by a rival business away from an affair that she was catering. Clare, whose ‘significant other’ is a police detective, gets to know the policemen that come to investigate the accident and finds out that there’s a ‘new group’ in the NYPD that has already figured out the scene of the crime down to the minute of impact.
While Clare is trying to help the police find the person who ran down her friend, her ex-husband and partner, who is the coffee buyer for Village Blend, looks more and more like he is involved in the drug trade because drugs are found in his coffee warehouse. He is immediately accused of smuggling by the FBI. In order to clear this problem up, Clare gets involved with the Bureau and a drug lord, while trying to keep her employees safe and out of even more trouble that seems to be coming from an unknown suspect.
As always with this series, this newest cozy is a definite fun, one-day read. First class writing and characters, with recipes for scrumptious coffee cake and muffin treats that will make readers’ mouths water, equals a definite ‘must-read’!
Until Next Time, Everybody,
Amy
Clare Cosi, manager of The Village Blend located in New York City, is busy watching her new idea get off the ground. She and her employees have been working on launching their coffee truck, which will extend their business by letting them drive their amazing coffee and treats across the cityscape. The new truck is called Muffin Muse, and is all the rage.
One night however, a fatal hit-and-run accident occurs that very badly injures a coworker of Clare’s, just as she was trying to send a coffee truck that was owned by a rival business away from an affair that she was catering. Clare, whose ‘significant other’ is a police detective, gets to know the policemen that come to investigate the accident and finds out that there’s a ‘new group’ in the NYPD that has already figured out the scene of the crime down to the minute of impact.
While Clare is trying to help the police find the person who ran down her friend, her ex-husband and partner, who is the coffee buyer for Village Blend, looks more and more like he is involved in the drug trade because drugs are found in his coffee warehouse. He is immediately accused of smuggling by the FBI. In order to clear this problem up, Clare gets involved with the Bureau and a drug lord, while trying to keep her employees safe and out of even more trouble that seems to be coming from an unknown suspect.
As always with this series, this newest cozy is a definite fun, one-day read. First class writing and characters, with recipes for scrumptious coffee cake and muffin treats that will make readers’ mouths water, equals a definite ‘must-read’!
Until Next Time, Everybody,
Amy
April 30, 2018
This review is being written after reading Roast Mortem and A Brew to a Kill in quick succession.
The first few books in the series were a fun read and held a lot of promise, possibly because the recurring (main) characters were developing, individually and in their interactions/relationships with each other.
The series has gone off the rails and can be summed up in a single word: cartoonish.
Is there anyone who survives serious injury, witnesses terrible things happen to friends, spends most of the night in an ER, has their place of business almost blown to kingdom come, and emerges with the presence of mind & body to bake, cook a Food Network-worthy meal, and then find the strength to give the mattress a workout with their significant other at 4 a.m. (Oh yes, did I mention paying a middle of the night visit to a police bomb squad captain and finding him at his desk?)
Claire is like Bugs Bunny standing at the age of a cliff, whooshing down and returning in one piece after the commercial. A three-year-old buys it, this adult does not.
I am done with this series.
The first few books in the series were a fun read and held a lot of promise, possibly because the recurring (main) characters were developing, individually and in their interactions/relationships with each other.
The series has gone off the rails and can be summed up in a single word: cartoonish.
Is there anyone who survives serious injury, witnesses terrible things happen to friends, spends most of the night in an ER, has their place of business almost blown to kingdom come, and emerges with the presence of mind & body to bake, cook a Food Network-worthy meal, and then find the strength to give the mattress a workout with their significant other at 4 a.m. (Oh yes, did I mention paying a middle of the night visit to a police bomb squad captain and finding him at his desk?)
Claire is like Bugs Bunny standing at the age of a cliff, whooshing down and returning in one piece after the commercial. A three-year-old buys it, this adult does not.
I am done with this series.
July 11, 2024
AFTER DNFING THIS BOOK AND SERIES IN FEBRUARY OF 2024, I'M GLAD I RETURNED. THE 4 MONTH BREAK DID ME WELL AND I LOVED THE BOOK!
PREMISE: A shocking hit-and-run in front of her Village Blend coffeehouse spurs Clare Cosi into action. A divorced, single mom in her forties, Clare is also a dedicated sleuth, and she's determined to track down this ruthless driver who ran down an innocent friend and customer. In the meantime, her ex-husband Matt, the shop's globetrotting coffee buyer, sources some amazing new beans from Brazil. But he soon discovers that he's importing more than coffee, and Clare may have been the real target of that deadly driver. Can ex-husband and wife work together to solve this mystery? Or will their newest brew lead to murder?
THOUGHTS: After Dnfing this book and the series in February I decided to give it another go 4 months later. Im glad I did as I really enjoyed it this time round! My old complaints of not enough Madam are still there in the over-all sense, but while reading I didn't think about it as I was too caught up in the plot. I love the idea for the coffee cozy side and truly loved that Matt heavily featured in this one. The reveal let me down, but otherwise a stand out in the series!
4.5 Stars!
xoxo.
PREMISE: A shocking hit-and-run in front of her Village Blend coffeehouse spurs Clare Cosi into action. A divorced, single mom in her forties, Clare is also a dedicated sleuth, and she's determined to track down this ruthless driver who ran down an innocent friend and customer. In the meantime, her ex-husband Matt, the shop's globetrotting coffee buyer, sources some amazing new beans from Brazil. But he soon discovers that he's importing more than coffee, and Clare may have been the real target of that deadly driver. Can ex-husband and wife work together to solve this mystery? Or will their newest brew lead to murder?
THOUGHTS: After Dnfing this book and the series in February I decided to give it another go 4 months later. Im glad I did as I really enjoyed it this time round! My old complaints of not enough Madam are still there in the over-all sense, but while reading I didn't think about it as I was too caught up in the plot. I love the idea for the coffee cozy side and truly loved that Matt heavily featured in this one. The reveal let me down, but otherwise a stand out in the series!
4.5 Stars!
xoxo.
February 16, 2025
This series is perfect for lazy weekend reading.
March 18, 2023
Another good one. I am bummed though-- the recipes in this one sounded great, but they are not available in the Audible Audio version.
March 25, 2018
OK, I did not finish this one. By page 20 I read: i) a racist remark that long hair + beard (+ I am guessing darker, in this case Mediterranean, but still visibly darker complexion) = terrorist; ii) an admiring remark about, ugh, I cannot and will not write his name in my review but think orange-complexioned ^$%; iii) a scene where Matteo throws a temper tantrum and is verbally abusive to Claire while Claire and her ex-mother-in-law (Matteo's mother) have an agreement that 'Matteo will be Matteo' (and I suppose boys will be boys).
UGH! If I wanted to read this type of right-wing propaganda garbage, I could find it all too easily on the internet. I have no interest in inviting it into my home, my mind, and my spirit through a book I picked up for entertainment purposes. Double UGH, and triple UGH!
I am done with this book, glad to give it back to the library, and really with this series. Life is too short, and good books too many for me to waste a smidgen of my time or energy on garbage.
UGH! If I wanted to read this type of right-wing propaganda garbage, I could find it all too easily on the internet. I have no interest in inviting it into my home, my mind, and my spirit through a book I picked up for entertainment purposes. Double UGH, and triple UGH!
I am done with this book, glad to give it back to the library, and really with this series. Life is too short, and good books too many for me to waste a smidgen of my time or energy on garbage.
December 8, 2017
There were fewer than average passages that made me completely furious. By this 11th book the frustration of watching Clare chase the obviously wrong suspect has faded to background stupidity, and Matt doesn't make a gross pass at her, so I remained mostly calm while reading this book. Overt sexism was also somewhat lower than average, maybe because there were a higher than average number of female characters to balance out the walking stereotypes. I am still grossed out that Nancy has "an on-going crush" on Dante (who she tried to literally date rape in the last book) but it gets mercifully little page time.
The mystery was actually mysterious. Some good red herrings, well-connected sub-plots, and people who are not Clare do actual police work fairly well. This book did not kill my soul dead.
The mystery was actually mysterious. Some good red herrings, well-connected sub-plots, and people who are not Clare do actual police work fairly well. This book did not kill my soul dead.
August 9, 2012
The "Coffeehouse Mysteries" are among the best of the cozies and this is a worthy addition to the series.
October 30, 2017
This one took me a bit to figure out but once I heard the keyword, I figured it out right before Clare.
Also, Clare is getting into some steamy situations with Mike and I love it. Can we please have more of that instead of the last book's judgy/shamey Clare?
Matt is really getting to be a big lug. I mean, what the what?!
Poor Lilly Beth but I definitely saw that one coming with Max. I do hope they both stick around.
Nancy? Um...didn't she try to rape Dante? Or at least sexually assault him? I mean, she slipped him the Mocha Magic in the last book and they both sort of od'd.
Anyway, glad I finally got around to reading this.
Also, Clare is getting into some steamy situations with Mike and I love it. Can we please have more of that instead of the last book's judgy/shamey Clare?
Matt is really getting to be a big lug. I mean, what the what?!
Poor Lilly Beth but I definitely saw that one coming with Max. I do hope they both stick around.
Nancy? Um...didn't she try to rape Dante? Or at least sexually assault him? I mean, she slipped him the Mocha Magic in the last book and they both sort of od'd.
Anyway, glad I finally got around to reading this.
March 23, 2018
This installment of the coffeehouse mystery series takes a bit of a dark turn as the mayhem once again comes very close to the coffeehouse as one of their own is injured, drug lords are after them and the DEA thinks they are on the wrong side of the law! Claire and her band of baristas are going to have to work fast to figure this out or the whole coffeehouse will be sunk! A great plot supported by superb character development makes this cozy mystery one to put on your must read list!
March 14, 2020
The writers for this series definitely do not have a checklist. Every book brings new, exciting storylines and informative police investigative applications. The personal storylines of the main characters are worthy of novels themselves. Add that to the mystery and the formula is better than any other series I’ve read in this genre.
March 22, 2022
Mike Quinn left for 1 year job in DC
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2023
Ugh this one was extra annoying to me. I’m going to take a break from these, but I am determined to finish this time 😂
May 9, 2023
Loved it!
September 27, 2024
Another good entry in this series
February 24, 2022
Danger, murder, drugs, recipes, what more could you want from a cozy mystery. Coffeehouse Mysteries are like visiting old friends.
December 7, 2019
Mike wasn't around much in this story, and Joy wasn't in it at all. The story involves a past incident, hit-and-run accidents, a comic, smuggling, and drugs. There story in separated into two stories. One involves the hit-and-run accidents, and the other story is about the drugs. The drug story was more interesting than the accident story.
March 9, 2017
I had stopped reading this series for a while and I thought I had read this one. I picked it up to read it for book club this month and discovered I had not read it. That was a pleasant surprise. It's a well crafted mystery even though there is a lot going on and more than one mystery.
July 8, 2018
Once again I am sharing my thoughts on a Coffeehouse Mystery book; this time it is book number 11: A Brew To A Kill. Did you know that, I rarely read book series? You can count on one hand the different series I keep up with. That is because I find that in most by the time I get to book 9, 10, or 11, the story has become redundant, often repeating themes from earlier books. That is not the case with the Coffeehouse Mystery Series. Actually, the later books have been even more enjoyable than the initial ones. This is of course due to the talent and skill of Cleo Coyle, creating characters and situations that are enjoyable, believable, and a pleasure to return to time and time again.
*potential spoilers*
In A Brew To A Kill, we find our heroine, Clare Cossi, expanding the reach of the Village Blend coffeehouse into the food truck business, placing herself in a turf war with a self-proclaimed cupcake queen. She is witness to the hit-and-run of her dear friend and subsequently drawn into the investigation of the accident. All this while trying to keep herself and her ex-husband from either being arrested by the DEA or killed by drug smugglers. Just another day in the life of a New York coffeehouse manager, eh?
The coffee house mystery books always seem to draw me into the culture and the neighborhood of New York, where the story is taking place. In this book, especially, I appreciate the excellent way the author draws us into the culture. For example, the portrayal of an Asian American accent in the chase through Chinatown. So often it is difficult to imagine what the dialogue of a story sounds like, but in this instance, I quickly realized that the author captured the syntax of the accent so well that as I was reading the dialogue I was able to hear the accent in my head.
In every Coffeehouse Mystery book, I have truly loved the journey from the initial problem through the climax and into the resolution. However, in A Brew To A Kill, more than any of the previous books, the story continually built in excitement, from the shocking entrance of the DEA in the warehouse & subsequent arrest of Claire and Matt, to the sting operation when Clare goes head to head with Dragon Lady. The action in this book really got my heart pounding, as I tried to figure out how Clare & Matt were going to get out of jail, if they would survive the sting operation without getting shot, and also trying to figure out who ran down Clare’s friend on the street.
A Brew To A Kill is a lovely, enjoyable, and intriguing read, that left me once again enamored with Clare Cossi.
*potential spoilers*
In A Brew To A Kill, we find our heroine, Clare Cossi, expanding the reach of the Village Blend coffeehouse into the food truck business, placing herself in a turf war with a self-proclaimed cupcake queen. She is witness to the hit-and-run of her dear friend and subsequently drawn into the investigation of the accident. All this while trying to keep herself and her ex-husband from either being arrested by the DEA or killed by drug smugglers. Just another day in the life of a New York coffeehouse manager, eh?
The coffee house mystery books always seem to draw me into the culture and the neighborhood of New York, where the story is taking place. In this book, especially, I appreciate the excellent way the author draws us into the culture. For example, the portrayal of an Asian American accent in the chase through Chinatown. So often it is difficult to imagine what the dialogue of a story sounds like, but in this instance, I quickly realized that the author captured the syntax of the accent so well that as I was reading the dialogue I was able to hear the accent in my head.
In every Coffeehouse Mystery book, I have truly loved the journey from the initial problem through the climax and into the resolution. However, in A Brew To A Kill, more than any of the previous books, the story continually built in excitement, from the shocking entrance of the DEA in the warehouse & subsequent arrest of Claire and Matt, to the sting operation when Clare goes head to head with Dragon Lady. The action in this book really got my heart pounding, as I tried to figure out how Clare & Matt were going to get out of jail, if they would survive the sting operation without getting shot, and also trying to figure out who ran down Clare’s friend on the street.
A Brew To A Kill is a lovely, enjoyable, and intriguing read, that left me once again enamored with Clare Cossi.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 369 reviews